Fishing reel



S. V. POLEVOY Jan. 4, 1949.

FISHING REEL Filed April` 11, 194e Patented Jan. 4, 1949 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to fishing reels, and has for its principalobject the provision of va structurally improved reel having a minimumof parts and which can be readily taken apart for cleaning and replacingelements of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reel having a novelhousing which is simple and inexpensive to construct, and which isprovided With one removable end plate which, when removed through themanipulation of a single cap screw, permits complete access to alloperative parts of the device. The housing of the nshing reel of thepresent invention is a unitary, streamlined two-piece affair whichcompletely `eliminates the need for pillars or other interconnectingelements between the tail plate and the head plate. Moreover, theconstruction eliminates the need for spaced head plates of conventionalreels, between which the gears, pinions and other operative parts arenormally located.

The housing includes a generally -cylindrical casing provided with afixed tail plate which may, if desired, be formed integrally with thecasing, and a removable head plate. If a level Winding feature is to beincluded, the casing may be substantially pear-shaped in transversesection, and if this feature is eliminated, as in the case of asalt-Water reel, the casing may be substantially circular in transversesection. In either event, the casing forms an effective spacing elementfor mounting the tail and end plates in their spaced, alignedrelationship. Such casing may be formed with a single opening extendingover a considerable portion of its periphery, through which the linepasses.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved housing for ashing reel which 'permits the employment of a larger spool than ispossible in conventional housings of comparable size. This larger spoolenables more line to be carried without increasing the overalldimensions of the reel.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved clickmechanism for lishing reels.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel reel having afree spooling arrangement for casting purposes.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a fishing reel embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

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Fig. 4 is an elevation of the inner surface of the head plate, the viewfurther showing the modied free-spooling arrangement.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the reel with the head plate removed.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the reel.

The reel housing comprises a casing I, a tail plate I I, and a headplate I2. The casing is substantiaily circular `over the major portionlof its periphery, and is further provided with anextension portion I 3in which the level winding mechanism is housed, thus giving the housinga substantially pear-shaped contour when viewed from either end. Ifdesired, casing It and tail plate I I may be drawn or otherwise formedfrom a single piece of sheet metal, although, if desired, the tail platemay be separately formed and suitably secured to the casing IIJ. Headplate I2 is removable from the casing and may/be `formed with aperipheral groove M which receives the open marginal `edge ofthe casing.

A cap nut I6 is rigidly mounted concentrically of the circular portionof tail plate I I, such nut having a threaded aperture I'I whichreceives a reduced, threaded terminal portion I3 of a xed shaft I9. Atits opposite end shaft I9 is similarly threaded, as shown at 20, andreceives an internally-threaded cap nut 2l which securely mounts headplate I2 4on the casing. Thus, to open the casing it is merely necessaryto remove cap nut 2| and the internal operative parts of the device arethen readily accessible.

Spool 24 is provided with an axial bore 25 and annular end walls 26. ItWill be seen, particularly from Fig. 2, that the spool occupies themajor area within the housing, and consequently a largerl spool may beemployed for a given size of casing than in conventional reels. Abushing 3B is force-fitted in one end of the spool, and there may beformed integrally with such bushing a ratchet pinion 3| which forms partof the click mechanism. The remaining portion of the click mechanism ismounted on the inner surface of tail plate I I and comprises a generallyflat spring 35 mounted on such plate at one end thereof, as shown at 36.Substantially midway between the ends of such at spring a generallyV-shaped pawl 31 is secured. The spring is mounted at 35 so as tonormally cause pawl 3lA to engage ratchet pinion 3l, as shown in Fig. 2.

The following means are prow'ded for holding the pawl free of theratchetr pinion. A manually rotatable wheel 40 is journalled at 4I ontail plate II, such wheel being knurled at 42. I'he y to the fishing rod(notshown) knurled portion extends through an opening 43 in casing I0.The wheel is further formed with a cam portion 43 which may engagethefree end of spring 35 and thus hold the pawl free of the ratchet whendesired. Counterclockwise movement of cam portion 43, when viewed as inFig. 3, is limited by an inturned end Vl of the spring.

In order to reduce friction between the spool and the shaft, the spoolmay further be provided adjacent-each end thereof with ball-bearingelements including an outer race lll which is forcefitted within bore25, and an inner race 48 which is carried on yshaft I9. At its oppositeend spool 24 is provided with a bushing 5D which may also carry a drivenpinion 5I. This pinionV isvdriven by a speed-multiplying gear 52 carriedon a shaft 53 which is journalled in a boss '.il4 rigidly mounted on theexterior of head 'plate I2. At its opposite end shaft 53 carries theusual crank 55.

A modificationof'the invention isshown inFig. 4 wherein the boss forminga bearing for shaft 53`is so arranged as to permit movement of the shaftin a direction perpendicular to a line drawn between thefaxes ofpinions-5`l` and 62. This permits gear 52 to move from the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 4 to the. position indicated by broken line52', and thus permits free rotation of the spool.

Y'I'he levelv winding mechanism may comprise a shaft 59 which isjournalled at one end thereof for free rotative movement intail plateII, as shown at 6D. Adjacent its opposite end, a bearing` member mountedon casing I0 isprovided'. Adjacent the outer. terminalof shaft 55 adriven pinionv 62 is keyed, such pinion being engaged vby driving gear52. Over the major portion of its' length, shaft 59 is provided withtwo-way helical recesses 63; A carriage 64 mounted on the' shaft `isprovided with a pin y(not shown) extending into the recess. It willthus' be yapparent that as shaft'63 rotates, carriage B13 traverses backand forth on the shaft. Also mounted on the carriage is a wire loop 66which passes" through a narrow longitudinal slot 51 in the upper wall ofextension I3; A

Casing I9 is' further provided with a second opening 70 ofsubstanti-ally'the samelength as opening 61, opening 10, however,extending over the greater portion ofthe upper periphery of such casing.On its lower surface casing I0 is provided withv theusual clip T2 whichis secured In themodified reel shown in Fig. 6, the extension I3 of thecasing is omitted, the' casing 'I'l in this instance being'substantially' circular. The casing is further provided with a singleopening 'IB extending substantially one-half the periphery thereof.Ahead plate 'I9 is mounted yat the outer end of the casing and issecured thereto bymeans of cap nut 8B. Also mounted on the casing is theboss SI which forms a journal for a shaft (not: shown) to which issecured the crank 82. A clip 83 ismounted on the lower surface of thecasing.

While three formsorv embodiments of the invention have been shown andVdescribed herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction andments of the invention may be made without de-l` provided with a fixedtail plate at one end thereof,

a removable head plate at the opposite end thereof, a spool, ashaftfixedtoithe tailplate supporting the spool for rotative movement,the outer end rof the shaft projecting through the head plate, a clickmechanism positioned between one end of the spool and the tail plate,driving arrangement incidental-to three specific applications thereofhave been disclosed Vand discussed in detail, itisto be understood thatthe inventonis limitedneither to the mere details or relativearrangementof parts, norto its specific embodiments Vshown herein, but thatextensive deviations` from the illustrated forms' or embodimeanspositioned between the other end of the spoolv andzthe'head plate, andanut at the outer end of the shaft for retaining the head plate in place.

2. A fishing reel vcomprising a generally cy lindrical casing having aline opening extending over a, portion* of its outer periphery andbeingY provided with a fixed tail 'plate' at one' endl thereof, aremovable head plate at the opposite end thereof, a spool, a shaft fixedto the'tail plate'supa porting the spool'for rotative movement, theouter end of the shaft projectingl through the head plate, driving meanspositioned' between one end of the spool andthe head plate, and a clickmechanism positioned between oneend of the spool and the tail plate,said click mechanism comprising a ratchet pinion carried by the spool, apawl support carried on thejinnerr surface of the tail plate, a pawlcarried thereby which normally engages the pinion, means disengaging thepawl from the pinion, andmeans' at the outer end of the shaft forretaining theheadv plate in place;

3. yA shing reel comprising a generally cylindrical` casing having aline opening extending over aportion of its' outer periphery andbein'gprovided with a fixed'tail'plate at one end thereof, a removable headplate at the oppositek v end thereof, a spool, a shaft supporting theVspool for rotative movement, 'a click mechanism positioned between oneend of the spoolr and the tail plate, and means at the outer end of theshaft forretaining the: head plate .inkr place, said click mechansmcomprising a ratchet' pinion carried by' ther reel7 a pawl normallyengaging the pinion, `an elongatedspring-like support forthepawl whichis secured at one end thereof to'the inner surface ofthe tail plate,andmanually actuablemeansI contacting the other endv of'the'pawlsupport'for moving thev pawl out of engagement with the pinion. I

4. A fishing reel comprising a generally cylin`` drical casing having aline openingextending over a portion of its outer' periphery and beingprovided with a fixed tail plate at one-'end there-A of, a removablehead plate atthe oppositeend thereof, a spool,a shaftr fixed to the tailplate supporting thespoolV Afor rotative movement, the

outer' end of the shaft vprojecting through the head plate, a nut at theouter end of the shaft for retaining ythe headf plate' in place, aflevelwinding mechanismextending longitudinally of lthe casing generallyparallel with saidkshaft, a click` mechanism positioned between one endof the spool and the tail plate, and a manually Y rotatable driving gearpositioned between the other end of the spool and thej'head vplateforrotating the spool and' thel levelwinding mechanism. v l

. 5. A fishing reel comprising a housing. and a spool journalledtherein, the housing including a' generally' cylindrical casing providedwith a fixed tail plate at one end thereof anda removable head plate atits opposite end, the casing having an opening for the fishing lineextending the major portion of its length and over a portion oi? itsperiphery, a shaft rigidly mounted on the tail plate, the spool beingjournalled on such shaft, a click mechanism comprising a ratchet pinioncarried at one end of the spool, a spring mounted at one end thereof onthe inner surface of the tail plate, a pawl carried by the spring andnormally engaging the pinion, and means for holding the paWl free of theratchet pinion, a driven pinion at the other end of the spool, a drivinggear provided with a crank journalled in the head plate and arranged todrive the pinion and the spool, the xed shaft projecting through 15 thehead plate, and a cap screw at the outer end of the shaft to retain thehead plate in place.

STEPHEN V. POLEVOY.

REFERENCES CTED The followingreferences are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 520,607 McGregor May 29, 18941,592,287 Schmid July 13, 1926 1,844,980 Russell Feb. 16, 1932 1,901,091Fawcett Mar. 14, 1933 2,366,920 McMahon Jan. 9, 1945

